Automatic switch-lock for railways.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

W. E. HARRIS.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH LOCK FOR RAILWAYS.l

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

No. 768,661. PATENTEI) AUG. 30, 1904.

W. E. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC 'SWITCH LOCK POR RAILWAYS.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 29, 1963.

No MODEL. n 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT OEricE.

vWILLIAM E. HARRIS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO vDAVID I. HOLLANDER AND HERMAN HOLLANDER,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-LOCK `FOR RAILWAYS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,661, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed October 29, 1903.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM E. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch- Locks for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic locking mechanism for railway-switches, and is especially designed to be operated, preferably, at a suitable distance from the switch by suitable mechanism combined in or attached to a car or other vehicle.

Among other objects,which will become apparent from the following specification, are to provide a switch-locking mechanism which can be automatically operated at will during the approach of a car toward the switch whereby to release the switch-point from one position to another, to prevent said mechanism from becoming' inoperative during the freezing season, to provide for the permanent retention of the switch-point in one position or another, and to produce an inexpensive, durable, and eiiicient structure.

In the drawings accompanying' and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 illustrates the switch, its bed, and contiguous portions of the locking mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch, the locking mechanism being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of the link connection between the lock-operating mechanism and the means'for operating said lock-operating mechanism. Fig. 4. illustrates perspectively a railway system, portions of the bed of which are removed to disclose the locking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the latch of the switch-lock. Fig. 6 illustrates a method of depressing a shoe by a vehicle-wheel whereby to operate the switchlock mechanism.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures.

Shown for convenience of illustration is a point 1 of an ordinary switch, which is pivoted at 2 in a switch-bed 3 and to which may Serial No. 178,971. (No model.)

be attached-for instance, as at 4suitable mechanism for operating the switch in any manner desired. Beneath the switch-bed 3 is a lever 5, pivoted to said bed preferably at 6, the free end of which is in the present instance bifurcated at 7 to receive a suitable device 8, such device being preferably a roller.

To a suitable member 9, located at a suitable point in the length of the lever 5, is a link 10, which is also connected'to an arm 11, carried by a rod 12, which extends parallel with the tracks 13 and 14 to a point distant from the switch, where it connects with suitable mechanism designed to operate said rod whereby to eect a movement of the lever 5 from one position to another, as shown, for instance, in Fig. L1. In the present instance this movement is effected by'a shoe 32, carrying a rack 15, which engages with a sectorgear 16, mounted on the rod 12. Mounted also on this rod 12 is another sector-gear 17, which engages a rack-bar 18, which is connected with a pin 19, which is connected to the switch-point 1. This bar 18 imparts movement to the point 1 whether such motion be derived from the rod 12 on one side of the track or the rod 20 on the other side, to which said rod is connected. y

It is to be understood that the train of mechanism as described for operating the switch and switch-lock is in duplicate.

Located in front of the switch-point 1 and also in front of the lever 5 is a locking mechanism adapted to be operated upon by the lever 5, whereby to retain the switch-point 1 in one position or another at will. This locking mechanism in the present instance is shown as comprising a plate 21, along which is movable a cam 22, which carries a latch 23, adapted to protrude on one side or another beyond the point l of the switch, as seen in Fig. 4. Tending'to constantly press this latch outwardly is a spring 24, which is borne on a rod 25, proceeding from the rear of the latch, and the spring is located between the rear of the latch 23 and a plate25, borneby the plate 21. The cam 22 is adapted toslide back and forth in a slot 26 in the plate 21 when the mechanism is operated, at which time the lever 5 nieves from one side to the other, and the roller 8 passes along' the face of the cam, pressing' said cam backward, so that the latch 23 will be withdrawn from its normal position, when the switch may move in a lateral plane. In the present instance the locking' mechanism, or, more correctly, that part of said mechanism which constitutes the latch, is secured to one of a plurality of supports 27 underneath the road-bed and is disposed beneath the track, where it is protected. t is to be noted in this connection that the precise construction shown in the drawings need not be followed so long' as suitable mechanism is provided for suitably reciprocating the latch whereby to allow the switch-point to be positioned to one side or the other.

The shoe 32 has its duplicate 28 on the opposite track, and these are adapted to be operatively positioned alternately, and when so operatively positioned suitable mechanism attached to the ear, such as a wheel 29, may be lowered at will to a position shown in dotted lines at 30, which will cause a depression of the shoe 32 or 28, as the case may be, whereupon the train of mechanism herein described will be'actuated according to the way the switch is to be set and locked, it being' understood, of course, from the foregoing' description that the operation of the locking mechanism takes place simultaneously with the operation of the switch, both of which operations being' effected in the present instance through the same train of mechanism.

The l'modus opera/mit' is as follows: Assuming the switch to be in the position shown in Fig'. 2 and that the car is mo'ving along the main line, it is desired that it should so proceed, and in approaching the switch it is discovered that said switch is set to transfer the car from suddenly in line to a side track or a curve, such mechanism as is employed by the car to operate the switch and lock is brought into effect at will, which will bear down upon the shoe 32 or 28, as the case may be, which will partly rotate either segment at that point, and thereby also operate the rack-bar 18 in either direction, whereby the switch point is likewise thrown. The lever 5 will yproceed to move, and the roller 8 will travel along the face of the cam 22, and thus move the latch 23 before the sector 17 on the rod 12 will take hold of the rack 1 to move the switch-point, and consequently the latch will be pressed back before the switch-point commences to pass said latch. When the lever 5 is passed beyond the line of center, the pressure of the spring' which tends to force the latch outward will, through the vinstrumentality of said cam and roller, force the lever entirely over, when the latch will again protrude beyond the switch-point and hold it permanently in the position to which it has been thrown.

It is to be observed, of course, that the construction as shown and described is duplicated on both sides of the track, and the operation of the other construction is like that of the one described.

It may be here stated that I also provide, as designated in a general way by B and C, two sets of heating devices, which will protect the mechanism proper for operating the switch and the switch-lock mechanism from becoming' inoperative during' the freezing' season.

It will now be seen that I provide an automatic switch-locking mechanism located in a roadsbed and which is operable by mechanism employed in the car and operable at will and that said mechanism attached to said car cooperates with said mechanism in the road-bed, whereby by simple manipulations at will the switch may be thrown to any position and while in such position permanently locked.

Within the purview of this invention variations may be resorted to as to structure and operation so long as they are calculated to produce a well-defined, eiiicient, and durable automatic switch-locking' mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, l claim 1. An automatic switch-locking' mechanism for railways comprising a switch-point; a latch to hold said point in either position at will; means operatively connected with said latch; an elongated rod running' parallel with the track and operatively connected with said means; and means connected to said rod whereby when operated upon it will remove the latch and release the switch.

2. An automatic switch-locking mechanism for railways comprising' a switch-point; means engaging' said point and adapted to lock it in one position or another and lbeing' adapted to move into and out of retaining-place; means operating' to actuate the switeh-lockg and a train of mechanism operatively connected with said actuating' means.

3. An automatic switch-locking mechanism for railways comprising' a switch-point; a rackbar connected therewith; rods running transverse to and at a suitable distance from said rack-bar; a lever connected to one of said rods; a lock operating to retain the switch-point and adapted to be actuated by said lever at the movement of said longitudinal rod.

4. An automatic switch-locking' mechanism for railways comprising' a switch-bar; a lock engaging' the extremity of said bar to hold said bar in one position or another; a train of mechanism connected with said lock; another train of mechanism located at a suitable distance therefrom and adapted when operated upon to release said switch-bar from one position to another.

An automatic lock for railway-switches comprising' a member adapted to be actuated by a passing car, and which is to be disposed in continuity with the switch-point; a latch IOO IIO

adapted to retain said point in one position or another; means to cause said latch to project out beyond the switch-point; means to Withdraw said latch from said switch-point; and a train of mechanism operable at a suitable distance from said switch-point and adapted to operate said lock.

6. A switch lock comprising' mechanism adapted to be situated in continuity with the switch-point; a latch adapted to locate on either side oi' the switch; means tending to hold said latch in such located position; means adapted to move said latch from one location to another; a connection between said lastmentioned means; a rod; means located at one I5 end of said rod for operating the latter Whereby tov operate said switch-locking mechanism. Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray street this 17 th day of October, 1903.

WILLIAM E. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

FRED. W. BARNACLO, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

